Improvement in lanterns



; THOMPSON.

Lantern.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented 'Nov. 3,, 1868.

2 Sheets-S heet '2.

N. THOMPSON.

v v Lantern. I l No. 83,799. Patented Nov. 3; 1868.

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NATHAN THOMPSON, OF BROOKLYN, E. 1)., NEW YORK.

' Letters Patent No. 83,799, dated November 3, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN LANTERNS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NATHAN THOMPSON, of Brooklyn, E. D., in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lanterns, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a lantern, constructed in accordance with my improvement, as in the act of being opened for insertion of the glass, the lamp being removed, and

Figure 2, a similar view, representing the lantern as closed, with the glass and lamp in their places, and

"showing by red lines the opening portion of the lantern as let down or fully open.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This, my improvement, relates to lanterns for railway use, and other purposes, in which a wire or open-work guard, surrounding the glass, and forming the frame, or portion of the frame, is used; and

The invention consists in such a construction of the guard portion of the lantern, as that, while one vertical half or division of'it forms a fixed or permanent connection with the headpiece and middle rim or baseportion to the glass, the other'half or vertical division of said guard, carrying a section of the head-piece, is hinged to said middle rim, in order that it may be dropped or opened to admit of the insertion of the glass from the side.

Secondly, the invention includes a platform-construction of the middle rim, with sloping or straight back, to facilitate the sliding in of the glass, and to limit it to its proper position in the lantern.

Thirdly, the invention embraces a sectional rim, with a raised fiont check for the glass, to the bottom or lower end of the opening portion of the guard.

In the accompanying drawing,

A represents what maybe termed the lower continuous rim of the lantern, B, the middle continuous rim, and O O, the upper rim. D is the lamp, E, the glass, and F F, the head-piece.

G G is the guard, made up of wires. The one-half, or portion G, of said guard, is of a stationary character, and serves to connect in a permanent manner the mid dle rim B and portion 0 of the, upper rim, together with the portion F of the head-piece fast to the part 0.

The middle rim B carries, or has connected with it internally, a raised surface, forming a platform, H, for the bottom of the glass to slide upon, or over, inbeing fitted to its place; also, is provided with a raised, sloping, or straight back, I, to the platform, to limit the glass when. slid into its proper position in the lantern. The hcad-piece, or portion F, of it is also lined with a straight or inclined rim, J, to steady and adjust the glass at'its top; said glass, E, being suitably shaped, top and bottom, to be thus checked or held by the back, I, and rim J.

The portion G of the guard is braced at its bottom by a sectional rim or flange, K, which, when said portion of the guard is closed, sets down upon the middle rim B, or, by forming a depression in the latter, is embedded therein, so as to present a flush upper surface. Said flange K is provided with a raised flout rim or check, L, to the glass, and is hinged, as at a, to the rim B, at or near its periphery, and thcsectional portion (3 of the upper rim, to which the wires of the guard at their top are united, is made fast to or caused to form part of the sectional portion F of the headpiece that is formed by a vertical cut or division, b, in opposite sides of said head-piece, and which I cut may be to one side of the middleof the latter, united by a horizontal or transverse cut, 0.

A spring-catch, d, arranged to lock with the stationary portion ofthe head-piece, is fitted to the opening portion F, to fasten the opening section G of the guard when closed. Any other form offastening, however, may be substituted, as, for instance, a verticallysliding ring or collar around the head-piece, arranged, by moving it upwards, to admit of the opening of the guard, and, by lowering it, to lock the opening portion of the head-piece with the stationary section thereof.

From this description, it will be perceived that by opening and closing the sectional portion 'of the guard, allowing it in opening to drop out of the way, as represented by red lines in fig. 2, the greatest facility is afforded for insertion and removal of the glass, E, by simply sliding it longitudinally on or over the platform H, and that in inserting it, the back, I, and rim J serve to direct and to adjust it to its proper place, and to steady the glass. The mere sliding in and out of the glass, for the purpose of cleaning, or otherwise, may be accomplished with much greater dispatch, and freedom from burning, than are practicable under other arrangements requiring the glass to be inserted-and removed in a vertical manner from above.

To provideagainst any inequality in the lower'edge of the glass, as affecting its upright position when inserted, the platform H may have a covering of buckskin, or other soft material which will yield, so as to insure the back, I, and rim 'J, adjusting and steadying the glass as required.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the hinged portion G'F with the fixed orstationary portion G, arranged to connect the middle rim B with the head-piece F, substantially as shown and described.

2. The middle rim B, formed orprovided with a raised interior upper surface or platform, H, and back, I, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The sectional rim, or flange K, 'to the lower end of the portion G of the guard, provided with a raised front rim, or check L, tothe glass.

I NATHAN THOMPSON.

Witnesses: 

